Target audience
Every narrative aimed at this audience — most recently active first.
The activities of Territorial Recruitment Centers (TCC) are portrayed as the operations of organized armed groups engaged in the forced rounding up of citizens. Any incidents during document checks and corruption scandals are inflated to reduce mobilization to pure extortion and violence. Joint actions by TCC staff and the police are attributed to the punitive suppression of the population's rights, aiming to provoke resistance and undermine trust in state authorities.
Western political elites and media outlets are portrayed as ignorant entities that manipulate history and spread groundless panic. This framing aims to undermine the credibility of their statements regarding the Russian threat and their support for Ukraine.
Ukrainian society is portrayed as a collective of aggressive fanatics whose identity is reduced exclusively to hatred and terrorist methods. Everyday disputes and out-of-context social media comments are inflated to the level of pervasive hostility and societal chaos. At the same time, drone incidents are presented as deliberate strikes on civilians and children in order to ascribe a "neo-Nazi" nature to the state and justify strikes on energy infrastructure.
Any explosions or falling debris on Russian territory are cast as deliberate acts of terrorism against civilians and foreign interests. The aftermath of strikes on rear infrastructure is hyped up in crime chronicles, portraying any damage as a targeted attack on non-military sites. Through such manipulations, the Ukrainian leadership is equated with the leaders of radical Islamist groups to discredit the country's defense efforts before the international community.
Strikes on civilian sites and people are attributed to Ukrainian forces as evidence of supposedly systematic war crimes. Individual reports of damage, injuries, or protected sites are reduced to the assertion that Ukrainian troops deliberately attack civilians. Personal data of service members are also circulated while branding them as “killers” and “war criminals.”
Military aid and diplomatic efforts by allies are portrayed as tools for establishing foreign control over Ukraine and aggression against Russia. Any initiatives for arms production or international visits are interpreted solely as attempts by Western elites to pursue their own hostile ambitions at the expense of the Ukrainian conflict.
Any diplomatic efforts or agreements are portrayed as a cynical Western ploy to rearm the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The messaging claims that negotiations are used solely to buy time for developing missile and drone technologies while Russia remains bound by obligations.
Russian outlets justify strikes on civilian objects and vehicles by claiming that any assistance to the army turns civilians into legitimate military targets. This propaganda attempts to evade responsibility for war crimes by passing off the killing of civilians as “surgically precise” elimination of combatants and logistics personnel.
Three equipment models accepted in August are presented as proof of the decline of Ukraine’s entire defence industry. The origin of individual components and technical limitations are labelled as evidence that Ukraine cannot produce effective weapons. Talks on potential licensed Patriot production are stretched into a version in which a ceasefire is needed by Kyiv only to build factories.
Ukrainian service members are portrayed as a demoralized mass supposedly deserting in droves or openly defying political leadership. This tactic aims to create an illusion of the total collapse of the Armed Forces and inevitable defeat due to internal conflict.
Unauthorized absence (UA) is portrayed as the only rational survival strategy, allegedly guaranteeing impunity due to the government's inability to track offenders. Manipulators use fabricated statistics of "800,000 deserters" and isolated management errors to convince soldiers that death at the front is inevitable while desertion is safe.
Any coincidental setbacks of foreign politicians or sports teams are linked to their contact with the President of Ukraine. This tactic uses magical thinking to create an irrational negative image of the Ukrainian leader as a harbinger of misfortune.
Ukraine is portrayed as a territory temporarily occupied by the West that has lost its agency and must be absorbed by the “Russian civilization.” Routine municipal issues or corruption cases are inflated into proof of state failure, while residents of southern regions are incited to spy for the aggressor under the guise of “resistance.”
Ukrainian leadership is accused of intentionally prolonging the war for personal enrichment and to distract from corruption. Propaganda portrays strikes on Russian infrastructure as terrorist acts against civilians, allegedly aimed solely at escalating the conflict.
Mobilization measures in Ukraine are portrayed as the forced sending of citizens to “slaughter,” which supposedly triggers active physical resistance from the population. Propaganda inflates isolated cases of corruption and conflict to depict government agencies as entities hostile to the people.
Ukrainian society and the military are portrayed as a degraded community dominated by internal conflict, looting, and uncontrolled aggression. By highlighting domestic disputes and football incidents, the narrative promotes the idea of a total collapse of moral values and the inevitable disappearance of Ukrainian identity.
Ukrainian strikes on military targets and defense enterprises are portrayed as terrorist activities against the Russian civilian population. This framing aims to justify Russian missile attacks on Ukrainian industry as “anti-terror measures.”
Ukrainian forces are accused of deliberately destroying shopping centers and essential facilities in occupied territories. These reports are designed to portray the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a terrorist group fighting civilians rather than military targets.
Propaganda outlets pass off criminal incidents and everyday hardships as the work of an organized pro-Russian underground in Ukrainian cities. The goal is to create an illusion of civil strife and incite residents to espionage and sabotage under the guise of a “liberation struggle.”
Russian outlets systematically frame strikes on gas stations, postal terminals, and shopping centers as the destruction of military logistics. They claim that civilian infrastructure supposedly serves as a cover for storing weapons and fuel for the AFU, aiming to legitimize attacks on essential urban facilities.
The Western coalition is portrayed as being on the verge of collapse due to a supposed realization by citizens and politicians of Russia's "true role." Manipulators use internal EU discussions on sanctions as evidence of the inevitable failure of solidarity with Ukraine.
Successful Ukrainian operations against Russian logistics, refineries, and airfields are cast as mere PR stunts by the Office of the President to secure Western aid. The propaganda claims these attacks lack military significance and aim only to create "visuals" for foreign media and soothe the domestic public amid territorial losses.
Military aid to Ukraine and permission to use Western weapons are cast as a deliberate Western strategy for escalation that supposedly forces Russia into a military response. This framing aims to shift the responsibility for prolonging the war from the aggressor to NATO and EU countries.
Ukrainian soldiers are accused of forcibly evicting civilians and turning residential neighborhoods into military targets. These reports aim to justify Russian strikes on populated areas and shift the responsibility for destruction onto Ukraine's defenders. It is claimed that the command deliberately endangers the civilian population by using private housing as cover.
Manipulators exploit slips of the tongue by Western politicians to deny Ukraine's right to its own military history and continuity. Any mention of historical victories on the territory of modern Ukraine is cast as absurd fiction to portray the state as an artificial entity without roots.
Ukrainian soldiers are portrayed as a threat to the civilian population, allegedly planning attacks on evacuation corridors. Such reports aim to cast the Russian army as the sole “savior” of civilians in the combat zone.
The Ukrainian state is accused of desecrating religious shrines and cynically using minors to manufacture ammunition. These messages aim to demonize the country's leadership, portraying it as an enemy of traditional values and international humanitarian law.
Ukraine is portrayed as an artificial entity destined to lose its western regions to neighbors due to its rejection of an alliance with Russia. Manipulators claim that only Moscow served as the guarantor of the state’s integrity, while Kyiv’s current policies supposedly lead to the absorption of territories by Poland, Hungary, and Romania.
Ukrainian nation-building and national memory are portrayed as inextricably linked to Nazi ideology and collaboration. By distorting historical context and manipulating statements from foreign politicians, this narrative promotes the claim that modern Ukraine cannot exist without radical ideologies.
Russia’s invasion is cast as a forced response to a war that Ukraine had supposedly already been waging against Russia. Accusations of “Russophobia,” camps, and attacks on civilians are reduced to an explanation for the start of the war. Ukrainian strikes on targets in Russia are also labeled as the original cause of attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
Western politicians and government agencies are portrayed as hypocritical actors who harm their own citizens to support Ukraine. Propaganda exploits isolated statements or internal European disputes to frame aid to Ukraine as the cause of declining security and prosperity in the EU.
Propaganda equates the modern state policies of Ukraine and the Baltic states with the ideology of the Third Reich through a selective interpretation of history. The manipulative use of World War II veterans' memories aims to portray these nations as justifying the Holocaust and Nazi crimes.
Security incidents or sabotage attempts against Ukrainian assets abroad are passed off as clumsy stagings by Ukrainian intelligence. This framing aims to preemptively absolve Russia of responsibility while portraying Ukraine as a provocateur desperate for Western attention.
Russian outlets justify strikes on port infrastructure in Mykolaiv and Odesa by claiming that civilian vessels have been converted into military targets. They assert that blocked barges and bulk carriers are used as launch pads for drones to legitimize attacks on the merchant fleet.
Ukrainian leadership and government officials are systematically portrayed as “Nazi criminals” who deserve physical liquidation. This tactic aims to justify missile strikes on infrastructure and legitimize aggression as “just retribution.”
Economic restrictions against Russia are portrayed as an ineffective tool that harms only Western countries and exposes their hypocrisy. Propaganda inflates internal EU disputes to convince the audience of the inevitable collapse of the sanctions policy.
The Ukrainian state is portrayed as an anti-Christian and “Satanic” force that has supposedly occupied ancestral Russian lands and persecutes the faithful. By using religious imagery and the label “Bandera scum,” the propaganda attempts to frame the invasion as a “holy war” for moral values.
Isolated criminal incidents involving former servicemen are presented as proof of the terrorist nature of Ukrainian special forces. By combining allegations of torture abroad with the “neo-Nazi” label, an image is created of an army composed of uncontrollable criminals.
Any territorial gains by the Ukrainian Defense Forces are portrayed as catastrophic defeats accompanied by disproportionate casualties. Propagandists claim that for every liberated village, Ukraine supposedly pays with thousands of lives, while Russian forces carry out "organized retreats" with minimal losses.
Ukrainian efforts to counter aggression are portrayed as attempts to interfere in Russia's internal affairs and disrupt its mobilization plans. Russian officials and media interpret statements about defensive preparations as a tool to influence Russian elections and social stability.
The Russian side uses its updated nuclear doctrine as a tool of pressure, casting any military support for Ukraine as a direct pretext for a nuclear strike on Europe. Propaganda manipulatively claims that only fear of the Russian arsenal prevents NATO intervention, attempting to provoke panic among European taxpayers.
Official comments denying state involvement in assassination attempts are cast as a pre-planned cover story. Any explanations regarding the personal initiative or financial motivation of the perpetrators are inflated into evidence of the systemic use of intelligence services for eliminations. The absence of publicly named masterminds in ongoing investigations is passed off as a deliberate attempt by the leadership to hide the truth.
Isolated incidents in Odesa are passed off as signs of a systemic collapse of law and order and uncontrolled violence in Ukrainian cities. Manipulators use detailed descriptions of car bombings to create the impression that Ukraine has turned into a danger zone where government agencies are unable to guarantee civilian safety.
Ukrainians are systematically stripped of their human traits through the use of derogatory nicknames and animal comparisons. This labeling aims to justify aggression and war crimes by portraying the targets as creatures unworthy of empathy or respect.
Ukraine is portrayed as a bargaining chip in Washington's grand game, where decisions are allegedly based on the US leader's personal whims or backroom deals with the Kremlin. Outlets amplify rumors of "Anchorage agreements" and the White House's readiness to trade Ukrainian interests for concessions in other geopolitical theaters. This framing aims to instill a sense of total powerlessness in Ukrainians and the perceived inevitability of a "betrayal" by their key ally.
Ukrainian military instructors are portrayed as accomplices of Islamist groups in Mali, allegedly acting under Western intelligence orders against Russia's "Africa Corps". This manipulation aims to discredit Kyiv internationally and justify Russian aggression as an "anti-terrorist" mission.
Western politicians are cast as ideological descendants of Nazism seeking revenge for the defeat in WWII through aggression against Russia. This manipulation justifies the Russian invasion as a "preemptive struggle" against a historical enemy that supposedly dreams of dismembering the Russian Federation.
Ukrainian diplomats are accused of a mass refusal to return home after completing their terms. This manipulation is designed to portray the state elite as having no faith in their country's future and seeking escape abroad.
Peaceful protests and public appeals by citizens are portrayed as futile actions met with the total indifference of the state leadership. Coverage of street rallies and statements by officials is used to impose the perception of a profound rift between the authorities and societal needs. Democratic tools of influence are declared useless in order to sow public apathy and undermine faith in the effectiveness of civic resistance.
Western politicians and media are portrayed as being gripped by paranoia, leading them to see national security threats even in children's cartoons. This tactic mocks concerns about Russian soft power by casting any criticism of Russian cultural exports as absurd and baseless aggression against "innocent" creativity.
Spreading contradictory figures regarding fallen servicemen is used to discredit Volodymyr Zelenskyy as an “illegitimate” leader who conceals the truth. This strategy aims to undermine trust in state institutions and create an image of a government that manipulates society for its own survival.
Statements by Ukrainian officials and MPs following city shellings are portrayed as evidence of a mass demand for an immediate ceasefire on the aggressor's terms. Propaganda outlets take quotes out of context to create an illusion of a rift between society, individual politicians, and the state's official position.
Ukrainian scientific and cultural achievements are passed off as exclusively Soviet or Russian to deny Ukraine's agency. Propaganda claims that the Ukrainian identity of prominent figures like Serhiy Korolev is an "artificial construct", suggesting that Ukraine is incapable of independent development without its link to Russia.